Pigeon Toe’d Walking

Intoeing or “Pigeon-toed” is a reasonably common condition. It occurs when the lower part of the leg, the tibia, is rotated inwards (internal tibial torsion) or when the upper part of the leg, the femur, is rotated inwards (internal femoral torsion) or both. The legs will look like picture A if the femur is the problem and like picture B if the tibia is the problem. The difference is in the angle of the knee. Picture A the knees point inwards and in picture B the knees point forward while the feet are intoeing.

Intoeing can cause clumsiness, tripping and falling and in my experience leg and foot pain often referred to as “growing pains.”

Between the age of 2 – 4 a certain degree of intoeing is normal. It should however, resolve by 6 years of age. If the intoeing causes symptoms and is more than expected for that age then treatment is considered.

Treatment using custom made orthotics and exercises are very effective when prescribed by a podiatrist with sufficient experience in pediatrics. The child should be monitored every few months for signs of improvement and to ensure no secondary problems from the intoeing occurs.